Roseanne’s Character Could Be Killed Off By ABC For New ‘Darlene’ Spinoff, ‘Radar Online’ Reports

Actress Sara Gilbert, who played younger daughter Darlene Conner on 'Roseanne,' was one of several cast members who called Roseanne Barr out in the aftermath of her controversial tweet about a former Obama aide.

Actress Sara Gilbert, who played younger daughter Darlene Conner on 'Roseanne,' was one of several cast members who called Roseanne Barr out in the aftermath of her controversial tweet about a former Obama aide.

Roseanne may have been canceled as a result of an offending tweet sent out by the rebooted series’ titular star, Roseanne Barr, but new rumors suggest that it won’t necessarily be the end for the Conner family. These rumors hint that ABC is planning to launch a new spinoff series centered on Roseanne Conner’s younger daughter, Darlene.

According to a report from Radar Online, the rumored plans are part of ongoing efforts on the part of ABC and Roseanne Barr’s former co-stars, as they hope to save the show and give its fans something to tune in to, while still getting to work together as an onscreen family. Specifically, the plans reportedly involve giving Sara Gilbert, who played Darlene Conner, an eponymous spinoff of her own, but that might also involve doing something extreme to Barr’s character, per Radar Online’s sources.

“Sara Gilbert is in talks to get a spinoff called Darlene and they will kill off Roseanne on the show,” said an unnamed insider.

Separate from Radar Online, TV Line proposed the possibility of a spinoff focused on Darlene Conner, listing it as one of five ideas for a Roseanne spinoff that wouldn’t involve the controversial lead star. The publication suggested that the series could focus on Darlene’s life as a single mother, as she tries to reenter the world of dating, with the possibility she might end back up with David Healy, her boyfriend, and later on husband in the original series who was played by Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki.

ABC’s purported plans for a Darlene Conner-centric spinoff series are noteworthy, as Gilbert openly called Roseanne Barr out on Twitter after the latter made a joke on the social media platform about Valerie Jarrett, an African-American woman who once worked as an adviser to Barack Obama, being the daughter of the “Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes.”

“Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least,” said Gilbert, as quoted by Deadline.

With several days having passed since Roseanne got canceled, Radar Online noted that Sara Gilbert is still upset about the situation, considering that she also worked as an executive producer on the rebooted show. Furthermore, the publication’s sources said that Gilbert’s Twitter post in reaction to Barr’s “abhorrent” social media activity has gotten her a lot of flak, “because the [Roseanne revival] was allegedly her idea to begin with.”

As of this writing, ABC has yet to issue comment on the rumored Darlene spinoff.